blind summit puppets (construcción)

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    BLIND SUMMIT PUPPETS

    INTRODUCTION

    The Blind Summit Puppets site gives information on how I make the

    puppets we use in our shows. It explains the processes and techniques

    and includes information about the materials. I have tried not to be

    too technical and not overly detailed it is impossible to explaineverything and if you are interested in making then the best way to

    learn is to get stuck in. !owever" I guess if you#re reading this"

    then you have an interest in knowing more" and will probably put up

    with a bit of technical chat and the occasional use of words such as

    thixotropic and exothermic.

    Site Layout

    The site is split into four areas$

    Design

    !ow I design the puppets.

    Construction 

    The stages of making the puppet in the order in which I make them.

    i.e. !ead" hands and body. %etails the whole process.

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     Materials

    %etails some of the materials used in the process" their advantages

    and disadvantages and some of the types of puppet for which the

    materials are most suitable.

    Links

    &ontains links to relevant sites.

    Disclaimer!

    The site is not a definitive guide to puppet making or any of the

    techniques it discusses. It 'ust describes the way I have made Blind

    Summit puppets for a number of years and is a response to peoples

    often asked question" how are they made. I hope it is helpful.

    Please feel free to e mail your thoughts and suggestions tonick(blindsummit.com

    DESIGN

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    The puppets that we use are inspired by )apanese Bunraku Puppets.

    *lthough the materials and construction methods vary greatly" and the

    look of the puppets is not usually )apanese. !owever" our larger

    puppets are often over a metre in height" similar to the height of

    Bunraku puppets and they are fully operated with three people$ one on

    the head and the left hand" one on the right hand" and one on the

    feet.

    The si+e of the puppet is largely driven by character and the context

    in which the puppet will be used. ,e have puppets ranging from about

    -cms to /. metres in height. The larger the puppet gets" the more

    difficult it is to operate. I think the puppets are more interesting

    when they are smaller than human si+e and in some cases considerably

    smaller.

    %epending on how impatient I am to begin" I may do a full si+e plan of

    the puppet. This is more important if I am making several puppets for

    one show which have to relate in scale to one another. I often dotechnical drawings for some parts of the puppets" particularly the

    arms and legs" in order to work out the shape of the limbs and the

    positions of the pivot points for 'oints.

    I tend to make the puppets head smaller proportionally to the rest of

    the body than it would be in real life. This is personal preference"

    for me it makes the puppet look more elegant and real.

    The expression which I sculpt for the puppet head will again be

    dictated by its character. I tend to sculpt expressions that are not

    too extreme" it seems to allow a wider range of emotion when we are

    using the puppet. I usually sculpt the mouth slightly open. *gain thisis personal preference and not always the case" but I think it gives

    more possibility that the puppet is talking or perhaps 'ust active.

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    CONSTRUCTION

    Head

    How te uets are ma"e###

    The first part of the puppet to be sculpted is the head" which I tend

    to sculpt from some sort of visual reference. 0ither a photo of

    someone in particular" or a drawing. 0ven when working from a photo" I

    http://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/head.htm#%23

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    find it useful to do a drawing" as it helps me to understand the

    features and structure of the face.

    I sculpt the head in either plastaline or clay.

    1rom this original" I make a mould" using silicone rubber encased in a

    fibre glass or 'esmonite shell. The shell provides the silicone with

    support when the original is removed. I clean up the mould and then

    make a resin and fibreglass cast.

    Sculti$%

    *n armature is needed to support the sculpted head. 1or plastaline I

    use a wooden ball fixed to of a piece of dowel" supported in a woodenbase. 2&lick the image to see an animation of a head sculpt3. The

    advantage of plastaline is that it doesn#t dry out and shrink" this

    means that it is easier to work on something over a longer period.

    !owever it can be a bit more difficult to get a uniformly smooth

    finish.

    If clay is being used then the armature cannot be solid" it needs to

    be something with give. This is because the clay shrinks as it dries

    out and so compresses whatever is inside it. To prevent the clay

    cracking around the armature you need a soft core at the centre. I use

    wet sheets of newspaper folded into one long strip" wrapped as tightly

    as possible around the end of a piece of dowel" and secured with wire.

    4ou can then add small bits of clay and build up the head. ,hilst

    working with clay you must keep it as moist as possible" spray it with

    water frequently and wrap it in plastic when you are not working on

    it.

    ,hatever material you sculpt in" the armature needs to be strong

    http://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/head.htm#%23

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    enough to support the si+e of head you plan to sculpt. * relatively

    small head" /5cms from top of head to bottom of chin" can end up using

    almost - lbs of plastaline.

    1or the eyes I use beads. It can be difficult to know exactly where to

    position them" especially early on when there is little of the head to

    know where they should be placed. I try to place them as accurately as

    possible by taking measurements from the drawings. But often it is

    'ust trial and error. I have occasionally got quite far with the

    sculpt only to reali+e that I need to move the eyes further forward or

    back.

    * finished clay sculpt can be sealed either by spaying it with a

    plasticised aerosol paint" or by applying a layer of shellac varnish.

    Moul"i$%

    The type of mould you make is determined by the material in which youare sculpting and the material in which you intend to cast the

    finished item. I usually cast the head and hands of the puppet in

    resin with fibre glass so the end result is a very rigid positive.

    This means the mould needs to flexible if it is going to come away

    from the details of the face and pull out from any undercuts without

    doing any damage" and remaining reusable. The best material for this

    is silicone rubber. It is very flexible and provides a highly detailed

    cast" picking up every mark and texture of the sculpted body part.

    To make the mould I begin by building a clay wall around the head of

    the puppet. By doing this you define the seam line where the mould

    will separate and the two parts of the head will 'oin together when

    you later cast the finished head. I take the seam line over the top of

    the head along the edge of the ear and down 'ust along the bottom line

    http://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/head.htm#%23

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    of the 'aw.

    4ou can build registration marks into the mould by making small

    hollows or protrusions in the wall. This means the two halves of the

    mould will line up accurately should you want to 'oin the head cast

    whilst it is in the mould. 2Because of the need to put fixings inside

    the head" I usually end up assembling the head out of the mould. This

    can make it harder to match up the edges" as they often distort

    fractionally when the cast is removed from the mould" making it

    difficult to line up exactly.3

    I then make the first silicone part of the mould. This is best done in

    two stages. 1irstly a thin layer of silicone brushed gently over all

    the features and into the details of the face" and when this has

    cured" a thicker layer 67mm thick. This can be done in one go" but it

    is more difficult8 in order for the silicone not to slump" you need to

    add a thixotropic agent to the thicker layer" which makes it harder to

    brush into the more detailed parts of the face" around the eyes andthe nostrils and ears" and increases the likelihood of air bubbles.

    The silicone on its own is not rigid enough to cast into" when removed

    from the sculpt it will be soft and flexible. So the next stage is to

    make a rigid case to support the silicone. 1or this I use resin and

    fibreglass" completely encasing the silicone and brushing around the

    edge of the clay wall. 2If the clay is not too damp there shouldn#t be

    any problem with the resin going hard.3 I build up three or four

    layers with a couple more around the edge of the mould for extra

    strength.

    ,hen the resin has fully cured I remove all the clay from around thehead and clean up the back of the mould and head. Then I spray a wax

    based release agent onto the exposed edge of silicone and repeat the

    process for the second part of the mould. Before encasing the second

    half of the silicone mould in resin and fibreglass I put a thin layer

    of vasaline around the fibreglass edge where the two halves of the

    mould will meet. This will ensure the two halves separate and do not

    'ust become one solid shell.

    To seperate the mould I trim back the edge of the fibreglass to get

    rid of the rough edge" to where it is a bit thicker. Then" using a

    thin tool or chisel" I gently work around the mould to prise it apart.

    2,hen building up the fibreglass shell for the mould I tend to make

    one or two areas around the edge a bit thicker so there are some

    stronger points at which to lever open the mould.3

    1inally I clean up the mould to prepare it for casting.

    Casti$%

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    ,hen the mould is finished the head is ready to be cast.

    I use polyester 2plastic3 resin and fibre glass to make the puppet

    head. The resin is a liquid and can be brushed or poured into the

    mould. It is mixed with a small amount of catalyst which causes it to

    harden. I do not usually pour resin" as a solid resin head is far too

    heavy to be of any use. *lso" on its own" resin has very little

    structural strength. To prevent it shattering" it must be used with

    fibreglass. The resin impregnates the fibreglass and the two materials

    create a very strong and reasonably lightweight structure.

    I build up the head by brushing layers of resin and fibreglass into

    the mould.

    Te Hea" Meca$ism

    9any of the puppets that we use have a tilting head mechanism which

    pivots the face upwards around a point where the head meets the neck.This simple mechanism gives a huge degree of life to the puppets

    thoughts and movements.

    * piece of aluminium tube forms the neck of the puppet" at its top end

    a small length of threaded rod pivots around a steel pin. The back end

    of this piece of rod is fixed into the inside back of the puppets

    head. 2Sometimes it goes through a hole in the head and sticks out the

    back" to form a handle for the puppet.3 * wooden handle is drilled to

    take the bottom of the aluminium tube. It has an elongated hole cut

    into its length through which a small trigger connects to a short rod

    within the tube. Through the use of piano:steel wire" the trigger rodpulls down the threaded rod at the top of the tube. It pulls against a

    spring connecting the threaded rod to the tube" which returns the head

    to its lowered 2resting3 position. ,hen the head is in place on the

    puppet" the aluminium tube travels down through a hole into the

    puppets body. The shoulder construction of the puppet rests on the top

    of the handle 2which has a rounded top to it3" so as well as

    controlling the head" the top of the handle is supporting the body of

    the puppet.

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    Hands

    ;nce the head is sculpted then I begin on the hands. *s with the head"

    these are usually sculpted" moulded and cast.

    To construct an armature for larger hands I will use a heavy gauge

    aluminium wire. The photo is of a larger hand. &lick to change between

    the &rmature and the Ha$".

    I have wrapped a finer wire around the fingers and thumb" this is to

    give the clay something to grip so that it doesn#t 'ust slide off the

    wire. The fingers can be bent into position and sculpted individually.

    The palm and back of the hand can then be sculpted around them.

    1or a larger puppet I will either sculpt the hands in plastaline or

    perhaps sculptey. The advantage of sculptey is that it can be heated

    and hardened in an oven. 4ou can still make ad'ustments when it is

    http://crossfade%28document.getelementbyid%28%27test%27%29%2C%20%27../assets/photos/puppet_hand_armature.jpg',%20'2',%20'Puppet%20Hand%20Armature')http://crossfade%28document.getelementbyid%28%27test%27%29%2C%20%27../assets/photos/puppet_hand.jpg',%20'2',%20'Puppet%20Hand')http://crossfade%28document.getelementbyid%28%27test%27%29%2C%20%27../assets/photos/puppet_hand.jpg',%20'2',%20'Puppet%20Hand')http://crossfade%28document.getelementbyid%28%27test%27%29%2C%20%27../assets/photos/puppet_hand_armature.jpg',%20'2',%20'Puppet%20Hand%20Armature')

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    hard" by carving or sanding and it is a lot easier to create a clay

    wall around the hand for moulding than when you use something which

    remains soft such as plastaline.

    If I am making hands for a very small puppet" then I will probably not

    bother with a mould" and instead 'ust make a one off. This will

    involve an armature similar to the one above" but much smaller" made

    out of steel wire. In place of the wooden support in the photo" I use

    a small piece of leather for the wrist 'oint" attached securely to the

    wire in the palm of the hand. The armature is attached to a length of

    piano wire" pro'ecting from the side of the wrist" which will

    ultimately have a small wooden handle for operating. 1or the smaller

    hands I will often use milliput to sculpt in" as with the larger

    hands" I start with the fingers and thumb" allowing them to harden

    individually and then add the palm and back of the hand.

    Ha$" Moul"

    The moulds for the hands can be quite complicated" depending on the

    position they are sculpted in. If the hand is in a relatively open

    position" and the fingers are not too bent" then you can create a

    simple two part mould. !owever as soon as you start to have the

    fingers bent towards the palm" then you may need to consider a three

    part mould" in order to be able to brush resin into the mould at a

    later stage" and release the cast sections from the mould.

    & simle a$" moul"

     

    * mould for the hands follows a similar process to the head mould. I

    will usually rest the hand in a bed of clay built halfway up the side

    of the hand and in line with the wooden support pro'ecting from the

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    wrist. ,hen the hand is later cast" the wood will be replaced with

    cotton or nylon webbing which acts as a wrist 'oint. The exposed side

    of the hand is covered with silicone rubber and when that is cured"

    encased in a resin and fibreglass shell. The clay wall is then removed

    and silicone is brushed over the other side of the hand. This too is

    covered with the resin and fibreglass. It is important to use a

    release agent between the two halves of the mould. Before applying

    silicone for the second part of the mould" I spray a wax based release

    agent on the exposed edges of the existing mould. ,hen the silicone

    has cured I apply some vasaline to the rim of the resin shell" before

    brushing on resin and fibreglass for the final part of the mould.

    Body

    Puet torso

    0very puppet seems to require a slightly different approach to making

    the body. But this is how I usually make the larger puppets.

    Sculti$%

    1or the larger puppets I start by cutting out the body shapes in 9%1"

    using a scroll saw. ,here possible I remove wood from the inside of

    the shape to reduce the weight of the puppet. I use these profiles as

    templates to sculpt the body parts. I prefer to sculpt the body from a

    soft foam rubber as this is the most sympathetic when it comes to

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    using the puppets. There is no sound when the puppet knocks against

    things" it is lightweight and it has some give in it" like skin.

    !owever there are often occasions when it is better to use a more

    rigid material" like syrofoam. This is usually when the limb will be

    seen" and not covered by clothing. 1or example the bottom of legs and

    the lower part of the arm. Both materials will need some sort of

    covering to protect them. I cover soft foam rubber in stockingette"

    which is glued to the surface of the foam with copydex. Styrofoam is

    more problematic. I usually cover it with fibreglass and resin" which

    can then be sanded to create a smooth finish. !owever" you cannot

    apply resin directly to styrofoam" firstly you must apply a barrier

    layer of tin foil" which prevents the resin from destroying the

    styrofoam.

    'oi$ts a$" assem(ly

    There can be a lot of pressure put on 'oints and fixings. The arms and

    legs have strips of aluminium for extra strength. The aluminium run

    the length of the limb" and is bolted to the 9%1 profile. 1or elbow

    and knee 'oints" where the movement is like that of a simple hinge" I

    drill a small hole in the aluminium and connect the limbs with a

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    Clay 

    Plastali$e 

    Styro)oam 

    So)t *oam Ru((er  

    Sculey 

    Milliut 

    Moul"i$%

    Silico$e Ru((er  

    'esmo$ite 

    Casti$% + Co$structio$

    Polyester Resi$ + *i(re Glass 

    Clay

    There are many different types of clay available" and to some degree

    it is personal preference as to which one you use. To me it is the

    most pleasing medium in which to sculpt the puppet heads" although for

    practical reasons I tend to use plasticine more often. I usually use a

    simple grey clay from Tiranti#s.

    Plastali$e

    This is an alternative sculpting material to clay. It#s advantage is

    that it doesn#t dry out and isn#t as soft" so you can be a bit rougher

    with it. It provides very fine surface detail" however it takes a bit

    of practice to get a smooth finish if that is what you want. 4ou can

    use lighter fluid and a sponge or brush to smooth it down.

    Styro)oam

    Some of the puppet parts are sculpted in styrofoam. This is easilycarved to a rough shape with a saw" and can then be with shaped more

    carefully with sharp knives. It is finished with various degrees of

    sanding.

    styrofoam is great to sculpt in. It is very lightweight" and is

    available in various densities. It can be sawn" carved" and sanded" to

    create quite detailed shapes and features very quickly. ;n the whole

    it is better for larger figures" this is for two reasons. 1irstly"

    http://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Clay%23Clayhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Plastaline%23Plastalinehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Styrofoam%23Styrofoamhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#SoftFoamRubber%23SoftFoamRubberhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Sculpey%23Sculpeyhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Milliput%23Milliputhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Silicone%23Siliconehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Jesmonite%23Jesmonitehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Polyester%23Polyesterhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Clay%23Clayhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Plastaline%23Plastalinehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Styrofoam%23Styrofoamhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#SoftFoamRubber%23SoftFoamRubberhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Sculpey%23Sculpeyhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Milliput%23Milliputhttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Silicone%23Siliconehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Jesmonite%23Jesmonitehttp://www.blindsummit.com/puppet_making/pages/materials.htm#Polyester%23Polyester

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    very fine details can be hard to achieve and quite fragile" and

    secondly" you will most likely need to cover it with something to

    protect the surface and increase its strength. This will inevitably

    cause some loss of detail which is far less noticeable on larger"

    simpler shapes. The biggest problem with styrofoam is that it#s easily

    dented or snapped if you are creating thin shapes 2such as fingers3. I

    don#t know of an easy way around this. If I am using it for puppets

    then I usually coat it in a harder outer shell before it can be used.

    4ou can use 'esmonite" which in some ways is ideal as it has no

    reaction with the fibreglass and adheres to it well" but 'esmonite is

    quite heavy and I have found it to be less durable than fibre glass.

    If you use fibreglass" however" you can#t put it directly onto

    styrofoam because it dissolves it. 4ou need to cover the surface

    first. Tin foil is a good material for this" and can be glued with P=*

    but it is a hassle to have to do. Both fibreglass and 'esmonite will

    leave an irregular surface which you will need to sand if you want asmoother finish. *pparently there is a material called peel ply which

    can help give a smooth finish with fibreglass. If the puppet does not

    have a long life ahead of it and will be treated quite carefully then

    it could 'ust be covered with a few layers of tissue paper or muslin"

    but the surface will always remain vulnerable.

    So)t *oam Ru((er 

    This is my preferred material for sculpting body parts. It is

    relatively light" and can be knocked and dropped with no damage to it

    at all. I use an electric kitchen knife to cut and shape it" which is

    a long and tedious process" but produces a very good finish. 4ou can

    also use scissors" and it can be sanded. 4ou can achieve a good smooth

    finish and after I have attached it to the body armature" I cover it

    in stockingette" using copydex to give it a more durable and protected

    surface. The stockingette also alows the costume to move more freely

    over the surface of the limbs with less friction than the foam.

    Sculey

    SuperSculpey is the brand name for a polymer based modelling clay

    which hardens in the oven. I have found it good for hands as you can

    harden fingers as you sculpt them.

    Milliut

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    * two part sculpting material mixed in equal quantities of resin and

    hardener. ,hen set it is very strong and can be carved" drilled and

    sanded. I tend to use it on smaller puppets" to sculpt body parts too

    small or fiddly to mould. It is quite heavy and so not ideal for

    larger puppets.

    ,hen using milliput be sure to mix the two parts very well" if there

    is any streakiness then they may not harden. 4ou can smooth the

    surface with water whilst it has not set.

    Silico$e Ru((er 

    This is the best material for making the head and hand moulds" as it

    picks up the detail of the sculpting so well. The only downside is

    it#s cost8 unfortunately it is quite expensive.

    The rubber comes in two parts which need to be mixed together before

    use$ the liquid rubber and catalyst. 4ou can also add a thixotropicadditive" which thickens the rubber and allows you to use it on a

    vertical surface without it slumping.

    'esmo$ite

    This is an acrylic based powder and liquid mix offered as a

    replacemant to fibre glass.

    I have found it to be a bit too heavy for the puppets and a bit more

    #crumbly# than resin and fibreglass when strength is needed. It#s

    advantage over resin is that it does not have the fumes and is

    therefore much more user friendly. I sometimes use it for the rigid

    mould casing" where weight is not such an issue.

    Polyester resi$ + *i(re %lass

    Polyester resin is a plastic based liquid which when used with

    fibreglass gives excellent strength for a reasonable weight. It is

    ideal for picking up the detail in the silicone mould" and is what I

    use choice to cast the head and hands of the puppet. It can be

    coloured by mixing polyester pigments before adding the catalyst which

    causes it to harden. The resin and its catalyst cause an exothermic

    reaction" i.e. one which creates heat. ,hen laminating this is not

    particularly noticeable" but if you are pouring solid resin casts then

    the heat can be considerable. !owever this is unlikely if you are

    making puppets as a solid resin cast is usually too heavy for anything

    but the smallest of heads. The trick is to create the strongest and

    most rigid structure with as little resin and fibreglass as possible.

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